Signal for motor-vehicles



. B. MERWIN.

SIGNAL FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION man SEPT. 2, 1916.

Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

.l B. MERWIN.

SIGNAL FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 2, 1916.

Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Lincoln,

the safe- U rs JOQEPH 1B.

MERWIN, OF LINCOLN, NEE z.

SIGNAL FOB MOTOR-VEHICLES.

' specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

Applioetionfiled September 2, 1918. Serial No. 118,263.

To all whom it may camera:

Be it known that I, Josnrn B. Mnnwm, a citizen of the United States, residing at in the county of Lancaster and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signals for Motor-Vehicles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to signals, more especially to automatic semaphoric signals for use upon movin vehicles'such as automobiles, motor truc motor cycles, power boats, aeroplanes and other power driven conveyances capable of developing more or less speed.

This invention has for its primary object arding of human llves and limbs.

As a rther object it contemplates and provides for the production of signals of the class indicated, capable of use either at night or in the day time, in darkness or in light. A signal which canbe read and understood e ually well either in front of or in the rear a vehicle, upon which it is mounted. A signal including signaling apparatus and connections, operable either by hand or by foot power with speed, accuracy and precision.

A further object of the present invention is the production of apparatus possessing the characteristics above indicated, which apparatus is at once designed, arranged and adapted for convenient and easy attachment to wind shields of automobiles or similar conveyances; and which, because of its ex-" treme simplicity, is not likely to become deranged or to get out of order.

With the foregoing and other objects and advantages in view the invention may be said to reside in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts shown,

or their mechanical equivalents, as hereinafter particularly described, and pointed out in the claims following.

In the accompanying drawings whlch form part-of this application for Letters Patent, and whereon merals refer views:

Figural is a fra entary view of an automobile wind shiel and instrument board or dash board, illustrating in front elevation my mvention as applied to a wind shield,

and showing certain electrical connections diagrammatically.

. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the 1nve nt1on upon a relatively enlarge scale. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of parts shown by Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical central section through a target-lantern, a joint coupling, and intervening semaphoric signal arm, w1th inclosed electrical connections in full lines.

Figs. 5 and 6 are detached fragmentary views showlng in plan the meeting faces of a joint coupling, and,

"Fig. 7 is a horizontal section taken on the line 77 of Fig. 3, showing also in plan one form of attaching bracket for securing the resent invention to a vertical sup ort such as the side frame of'a wind-shiel a In the outstart it should be understood that signals of the character indicated are used u on both sides of a vehicle, as-illustrated y Fig. 1 of the drawings. Except for the fact that the operating connections of these signals are right and left handed respectively, and that different colored glasses are employed, they do not difi'er st! uctLrally, and for that reason, but one signal and one set of operatiye connections will be herein- -after described, such description being applicable to either or both.

Referencebeing -had to the drawings and numerals thereon, 1 indicates a supporting bracket' having a bifurcated clutch, and screws 2, 2, for binding and securing same to a suitable support such as the side frame of an automobile wind-shield 3, as shown by Fig. 1. In the outer end of bracket 1 is formed a tubular socket 4 provided with a set screw 5, and into the said socket is fitted the shank of a T coupling which may be held against rotation by engagement-of said setscrew 5. The hollow tubular head 6 of said T couplingis also provided with a set screw 6 and receives the depending hollow shank 7 of a relatively fixed cup-shaped member 8, constituting one half of a joint coupling which, in turn, is provided upon its lowermost edge with a fixed stop 9, and is held against horizontal rotation by agency of the said set screw 6.

This cup shaped member '8 is eqmpped with a centrally perforated insulating dlsk 10, bearing upon its inner face su table blnding-posts 11, 11, and spring terminals 12, 12, for electric wires 13, leading from a sultable electric battery, diagrammatically shown at 14 in Fig. 1, through the hollow shank 7 aforesaid, to both binding posts 11, 11, and their respective terminals 12, 12.

Mating with the relatively fixed member 8 of said joint coupling is a similar cup shaped rotatable member 15, also equipped with a centrally perforated bottom disk 16, from which project contacts 17, 18, as shown by Figs. 4 and 5. Upon the periphery of the said joint member 15- are limit lugs 19 and 20 for alternate engagement with the fixed stop 9 aforesaid, as will later appear, and radiating from the said rotatable joint member 15 is a tubular signal arm 21, carrying upon its outer end a signal lantern ortarget 22, preferably of cylindrical form, and provided upon each end with flanged screw threaded glass-retaining rings 23, 23, between which and the edges of the lantern casing are secured glasses 24 and 24, preferably colored, as will later be explained. Within lantern 22 is located an incandescent lamp 25 of any approved construction, electrically connected by wires 26 and 27 passing through the tubular arm 21 to contacts 17 and 18, respectively, in the joint member 15, as clearly shown by Fig. A

As bestshown by Fig. 4 also, the said joint coupling members 8 and 15 are connected by means of a centrally positioned screw 28, a spring surrounding said screw and bearlng upon the outer face of member 8 and a tension nut 29 for holdin the coupling members firmly together. rom the opposite side of the said joint coupling, or the rear face of the rotatable coupling member 15, and at right angles thereto, is provided a wrist pin 30 upon which is loosely journaled a bayonet coupling 31 having a short depending sleeve within which is mounted the upper end of a vertical operating rod 32, the same being adj ustably held in-position by set screw 33.

Journaled in suitable bearings 34, upon instrument board 35, is a rock shaft 36, provided at its inner end with relatively fixed operating levers 37, and at its opposite projecting end with a crank 38 keyed to and moving with said rock shaft, the outer end of said crank 38 being pivotally joined to the vertical operating rod 32by means ofan both signals is as indicated at the right of Fi 1, this being the left side of the vehicle.

ft is further provided that both glasses 24 of said lantern 22, positioned at the left side of the vehicle, may be colored red, thereby conforming to the distinguishing colors unlversally used and understood by mariners red on the port and green on the starboar side of the vessel.

When in the normal or vertical position, as indicated by Figs. 2, 3 and 4, it will be observed that the electric switch between joint members 8 and 15, consisting of terminals 12, 12, and contacts 17, 18, is disconnected as shown by Fig. 4 of the drawings,

with its green lights 24, is projected into a horizontal position, as shown at one side of Fig. 1, electrical connections being thereby established between switch members 12, 12, and.17, 18, thus lighting that particular lamp 25, and clearly indicating to pedestrians and others, both in front and in rear of the vehicle that it is about to be turned to the right. 'lhis turn having been negotiated, the said lantern 22, is a ain returned to its normal vertical position y a reversal of the operation stated.

Obviously, when a turn is to be "made to the left, the aforesaid operation is repeated on the left or opposite side of the vehicle where the red light of lantern 22 is employed to indicate, as before, a turn in that direction. In like manner, either or both signal lanterns may be employed simultaneously or dissimultaneously, in a variety of ways, to execute as many agreed and understood road and traflic signals, and to these ends, the invention havin been hereinbefore described, what -I now 0 aim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

An indicating device for vehicles comprising a supporting bracket extending laterally from the vehicle, a si nal, a slgnal arm adapted to move latera ly in the arc of a circle from a normally vertical to a horizontal position having an enlarged joint member pivoted upon said bracket, a vertically movable signal operating'rod eccentrically pivoted upon said joint member, a horizontally arranged actuatin rock shaft, a crank pivotally connecting said shaft and operat- 1n rod, a manipulating lever fixed vupon sa d rock shaft, and means for automatically illuminating said signal when in a 10 horizontal position.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

- JOSEPH B. MERWIN. 

